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SHYAM M. THOMAS
Accomplished researcher with Ph.D. in ecology and 8 years of experience in leading and managing data-intensive projects. Experienced in working with diverse clients, and providing data analytic support and deliverables in time. Proficient in statistical analyses, modeling and mapping using R and ArcGIS, and code management tools such as Git. Raised more than $100K in grant money and published 12 peer-reviewed research articles.
Professional Experience
Postdoctoral researcher
University of Minnesota
St. Paul, MN, USA
Nov 2019 - Present
- Wrangled, visualized, and managed large datasets ( 2-5 GB) using R Tidyverse & data.table packages, and ensured team members have access to clean and complete data
- Used general additive models and random forest algorithms within a parallel computing framework that reduced computation time by 50%
- Incorporated spatial simulations and point pattern analyses in developing spatially-explicit predictive models
- Created R Markdown reports to ensure reproducibility and transparency of data analysis workflows for clients and collaborators
- Effectively used Git & GitHub to keep team members and clients informed of coding updates and changes
Postdoctoral researcher
Toronto Metropoliton University
Toronto,ON, Canada
Jul 2016 - Sep 2019
- Excelled in the use of R Tidyverse package & MS Access by taking the lead in managing and manipulating a large contaminant monitoring databases with >100,00 records
- Developed piecewise structural equation models to untangle the direct and indirect effects of climate and land-use on fish mercury levels
- Combined Bayesian mixed-effects models and geostatistical kriging in R to develop accurate predictive models & maps of fish mercury levels
- Successfully designed & developed a prototype data visualization dashboard for a local client using R Shiny & Leaflet packages
Postdoctoral researcher
University of California - Riverside
Riverside, CA, USA
Feb 2014 - Jun 2016
- Cleaned, integrated, and analyzed multiple monitoring datasets containing ~80,000 trap detection records spanning 6 years and 10 counties in R
- Successfully coordinated with USDA in spatial data analysis, and provided the results and insights needed for proactive management
- Developed predictive models and risk maps of insect pest outbreaks using auto-logistic regression models
- Integrated landscape pattern analysis and survival analysis to quantify the urban-agricultural spillover of an invasive insect pest
Graduate student researcher
Iowa State University
Ames, IA, USA
Aug 2010 - Dec 2013
- Collaborated with Minnesota DNR and developed Bayesian logistic regression models and invasion risk maps in R & ArcGIS
- Cleaned and integrated long-term survey data spanning 19 years containing 1,600 occurrence records with land cover data using R and ArcGIS
- Developed and published mathematical models simulating the effects of insect folivory on a perennial plant with belowground biomass
Education
St. Xaviers College
B.S. in Botany & Zoology
Mumbai, MH, India
1999
Oklahoma State University
M.S. in Ecology
Stillwater, OK, USA
2006
Iowa State University
Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Ames, IA, USA
2013
Grants & Awards
Diversity (Virtual) Travel Award ~ US$ 225
International Association of Landscape Ecology, Annual Conference
Reno, NV, USA
2021
Highly Qualified Personnel Leadership Award ~ C$ 15,000
India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability
Vancouver, BC, Canada
2019
Best in Science Grant ~ C$ 99,600
Ontario Ministry of Environment & Climate Change
Ontario, Canda
2017
DNR Short-term research grant ~ US$ 3,039
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
St. Paul, MN, USA
2011
Recent Invited Presentation
Mercury bioaccumulation in fish: a study of patterns, processes, and predictions across Ontario, Canada.
Ryerson University
Toronto, ON, Canada
Mar 2021
Will property values cool as AIS heat up?
Annual Research & Management Showcase, Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center, University of Minnesota
Saint Paul, MN, USA
Sep 2020
Introduction and spread of an invasive insect in urban south California: role of roads and urban sprawl
North American Congress for Conservation Biology
Toronto, ON, Canada
Jul 2018
Recent Publications
Quantifying spillover of an urban invasive vector of plant disease: Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) in California citrus Frontiers in Insect Science
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2022
Species distribution models for invasive Eurasian watermilfoil highlight the importance of data quality and limitations of discrimination accuracy metrics Ecology & Evolution
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2021
Climate and landscape conditions indirectly affect fish mercury levels by altering lake water chemistry and fish size Environmental Research
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2020
Quantitative Coursework
Structural Equation Modeling
University of Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke, QB, CA
2018
Matrices & Linear Algebra
Iowa state university
Ames, IA, USA
2010
Statistics for Spatial Data
Iowa state university
Ames, IA, USA
2009
GIS for Natural Resource Mgt.
Iowa state university
Ames, IA, USA
2008
Agent-based Modeling in Ecology
Dresden University of Technology
Dresden, Germany
2008
Multivariate Methods for Ecology
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK, USA
2005
Statistics for Experimenters I & II
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK, USA
2004
DEI Contributions
Volunteering member of International Association of Landscape Ecology – North America chapter’s Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (IALE-NA EID) committee
International Association of Landscape Ecology
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2022
Completed Multicultural Inclusive Learning & Teaching semester long webinar
University of Minnesota
Saint Paul, MN, USA
2021
Organized two-day citizen science workshop and ensured women representation among invited speakers, and financial support for students, and accessibility
IC-IMPACTS
Bangalore, KA, India
2019
Professional & Community Services
Member of International Association of Landscape Ecology
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Current
LAND journal reviewer board member
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Current
Member of University of Minnesota Postdoctoral Association
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Current